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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel is prosperous enough to purchase American weapons without relying on U.S. financial assistance, The Jerusalem Post reported.
“Israel is now prosperous and rich enough to be able to be a sales country. They can buy weapons from us, but we no longer have to provide the financing,” Rubio said, adding that Israeli officials themselves had raised the idea.
Asked whether Israel could begin financing its own defense purchases in 2027, Rubio said that was the direction President Donald Trump had announced.
“Ultimately, I think they could if they wanted to, yeah, absolutely,” Rubio said. “On the question of financing, I think Israel has clearly graduated beyond that.”
Trump said last week that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed ending nearly $4 billion in annual U.S. assistance.
In an interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Trump said the two leaders had reached an understanding several months ago under which the aid would end by December 2026.
Israel would still be able to purchase U.S. weapons and could receive additional assistance if needed, Trump said.
Under a 10-year memorandum of understanding signed in 2016, Washington committed $38 billion in military assistance to Israel for fiscal years 2019 through 2028, including $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for missile defense.
Congress also approved about $26 billion in additional assistance in 2024.
Israel has about $10 billion in outstanding orders for U.S. military equipment that are not covered by existing aid commitments through 2028, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Netanyahu has previously proposed phasing out direct U.S. aid over the coming decade.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday that Israel and the U.S. are negotiating a new multiyear military aid agreement, with Israel seeking to finalize it before the new U.S. Congress takes office in January.
The Democratic Party won control of Congress from Trump’s Republican Party in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Successive U.S. administrations have provided Israel with extensive military, financial and political support, including during the war in Gaza since October 2023.
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